Apeirophobic
by A Rhapsodic Soul
Summary: This is a very short story that was conceived in my math notebook on a school day, and is a story inspired by the two stories: "Acrophobic", by EkaSwede, and "Autophobic" by ScytheRider. This is about the grief-stricken Charizard and his final farewell to his late trainer. One-Shot.


**A/N:** Hello. I am the Rhapsodic Soul, and this is a story of a strange background. I thought that in the last sequel by ScytheRider had too many questions left unanswered in his "Autophobic." Thus I've continued this cycle.

Oh, what do I even have to say about this? Just read it.

* * *

"Yeah, the Pikachu said. "He was so hard on himself for screwing up with you, he… gave up training. He released us all into the wild the next morning. He even turned in all his badges and gave away all of his items, too."

"No," I whispered. "That's horrible! He's a great trainer! We should all go back and cheer him up."

"Well, we tried that," The Pikachu said. "We stayed in the wild for a few days, and then we all decided to go back and see if he felt any better. When we got back… we found out…"

He paused, trying the choke out the last words…

When I saw his broken, wavering eyes, I realized what he was about to say.

My blood ran cold.

"He… his body was found in the riverbed outside of town. He… killed himself."

I sank to my knees, as my eyes brimmed with tears.

You raised me, played with me, watched me grow, and ultimately sacrificed everything for me.

You were my trainer.

And what have I done for you?

I tried to kill myself. You put your Pokémon and me in front of all earthly pleasures, and how do I express my thanks? I jump off of a cliff. All because I was under a false pretense regarding your feelings for me. When in truth, you loved me as you would a relative. And I trashed it. I.

I trashed the bond you worked so tirelessly to achieve by hurling myself off of that cliff, yet you still sought to save me.

 _Why_?

 _I_ was the fool. Not you. _You_ were the one who wanted the best for me. _You_ were the one who raised me with my contentment in mind. _You_ did everything you could, and I threw it all away, only because I was a hopeless idiot, and there is nothing you could do about it.

You should've let me plummet to my death. Then at least you wouldn't have had to deal with being at my bedside. Now as I look back, the others… they could've helped you through it. I trust them enough. But when you were with my unconscious self in the hospital, isolated from everyone… there was no telling what was going through your head.

I… I'm sorry. For all that I've caused.

As I look up to the Pikachu who told me of your fate, I felt all of these feelings come rushing through the mental dam I'd thought I'd established. This weight was terrible. It was crushing.

So I asked the Pikachu: "Did he leave anything behind? Maybe a note?"

"We don't know" He said, regaining his posture. "Like I said earlier, the rest of us and I were living in the wild for the past few days. Then yesterday, we came back, and we couldn't find him. Then, when we start searching, we met this homeless Raticate, and he was curious as to why a Pokémon team was sauntering around without a trainer."

The Pikachu paused, thinking of what to say next.

"Yes… well, in desperation, we told him that our trainer had gone missing, his name, and questioned him as to whether or not he knew his current whereabouts. Then… he told us that he remembered seeing that name on one of those entertainment-box things humans like to stare at…"

"A television." I corrected.

"Yes. Sorry." The Pikachu cleared his throat. "Anyway, the Raticate concluded with telling us that our trainer had died some time ago."

"That's… terrible."

"I know."

I didn't know how to continue talking about this subject matter, other than to stare blankly and the ground. So I made up my mind, wiped my tears, and asked Pikachu where the others were.

"The others, um… they should still be back were we decided I would be the one to tell you the awful news."

"And that is where?" I asked, getting ready to walk a good few miles. Maybe that could take my mind off you for a moment, to maybe ease the pain I felt inside, but I remembered something.

 _I could fly_.

"They should be near our trainer's old apartment; it was there we last congregated."

I offered my hand to the Pikachu and motioned for him to climb atop my back.

"I know where that is." I said with a forced, determined expression. "Here, I can fly you there."

"…"

The Pikachu said nothing for a while, and I thought he had not heard by accident. So, as I prepared to repeat the question, he looked at me with sad eyes.

"No, but thank you. I don't think I want to go back. Our team is done. Finished."

"Th-That's not true!" I stammered, not wanting to lose another teammate. "There is still hope! Our trainer had a brother! He can take us in and start training with us when he's old enough to do so!"

"I'm sorry, but I won't drag him into this. You're thinking that our trainer's brother, possibly the closest person to him save his team, will be willing to take his older brother's Pokémon after those same Pokémon caused him to commit suicide? And he's…what, nine years old?"

I thought about it, and you know, shifting over to your brother seemed… not right. He wouldn't accept the gesture. You and I have been around him enough to know… I mean, he loves you more than anything in the world, and to think that you're gone now… oh, the grief… the angst my ignorance has caused…

I shook my head.

"There _has_ to be a way!" I said, my breaths growing fervent. "We can't just… stop!"

The Pikachu sighed.

"We _did_ stop, Charizard." He replied, spitting out the word _Charizard_ like it was the last thing he wanted to say. We stopped before I came here to tell you. You see… we stopped because…" The Pikachu started tearing up. "Because of _you_."

My eyes started welling up again. I knew what was coming.

" _Why_?!" The Pikachu yelled, " _Why did you jump off of that cliff_?! _You had no reason to! You… you imbecile!_ " The Pikachu hollered, and scampered off at all fours in a direction I didn't care to pay attention to.

I was too busy hanging my head I shame.

So this is what's become of your team.

Your family.

Your Pokémon team… disbanded, and clearly in distraught.

And now, as I sit at the edge of the cliff you dove off of in a vain attempt to keep my undeserving hide from touching the water, I think about everyone else we were close with.

Your brother, mother and father, the team, the annoying Pikachu I've recently spoken with…

All of these people loved you, and you loved them back.

And you loved me. And that is why, on this fateful cliff, where you attempted to save my life, and succeeded, I've realized:

 _I don't think I can make it through my life without someone_.

And I want to see you again.

I miss you.

I know you might be somewhere in a realm I can't exactly reach.

…But I won't end my life on this cliff. In fact, I don't plan on ending my life at all.

With my newly granted wings, I'll fly across the ocean, and I'll set down on another region.

I'll find someone. Somebody will care enough to guide me through my life, like you did.

Although… no one will be the same as you. Thus, as I bury my last memento of you, a small, empty, tin box that once held mints; I chuckle and hum a tune I'd created.

 _Farewell, my friend._

 _A friend whom I'll remember._

 _A friend who's raised me,_

 _Since my flame was but an ember._

 _My hopes to see you again_

 _I hope will be fulfilled._

 _And I humbly pray to Arceus_

 _That my soul would be distilled._

 _But even if they do not reach_

 _And Arceus wouldn't know_

 _All I need to say here,_

 _Is that I will always love you so._

 **DAS ENDE.**


End file.
